Results 361-380 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Does the Acting Chairman have an explanation?

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Precisely.

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Exactly.

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: To follow on from the comments of Senator Norris, this involves the administrative staff of a college. My amendment would give stronger representation for internal staff to strengthen the operation and functioning of the board of management and ensure decent time and input into organisational resources-----

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is a potential charge. It is not right.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials. Our discussion of this Bill is overshadowed by the announcement today that the Government intends to bring forward further amendments to the Planning and Development Act. The stated purpose of these amendments will be to limit access to justice in planning cases. This would be contrary to both the Constitution and the Aarhus Convention, to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Vacant Housing Refurbishment Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Similarly, the Green Party and Civil Engagement in the Seanad are interested in supporting this legislation. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, RIAI, raised concerns about the competence of authorised persons who will carry out the inspections under the system. The authorised person regime has been in place since 1992 and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Pobal: Review of Past Performance, Current Issues and Future Strategies (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the witnesses for their contributions. I would like to take a step back, as this is a relatively new committee and my questions are not as specific as are some others. What is the witnesses' definition of "community"? What do community and community development mean to Pobal? Is Pobal succeeding in the community-centred approach? I am from Tramore, County Waterford, and always...

Seanad: Emergency Department Waiting Times: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I will facilitate Senator Murnane O'Connor by giving her a minute and a half of my time.

Seanad: Emergency Department Waiting Times: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: The Minister swanned in here this morning to share with us something we may not have heard this winter, that is, that the number of patients on trolleys over the winter is down. In the month of December, the number on trolleys was down by 447. The Minister spoke about 170 additional beds being open this winter. He does not mention University Hospital Waterford. He says there will be beds...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I apologise to the Minister of State for not being present for his contribution. I was attending a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government at which the Fianna Fáil Bill to refurbish vacant housing stock was being considered. It is a really welcome Bill. We are all aware of empty units above retail premises in our towns, cities and villages that could...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: It could be used for accommodation.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Not fast enough.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: What about the-----

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister for her comprehensive statement last night and for mentioning the Green Party’s work on a number of technical amendments to the Bill. The amendments, tabled by my colleague, Deputy Catherine Martin, dealt with the need for technological universities to have an ethos focused on research and knowledge rather than one dominated by commercialism. Deputy Martin also...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Good girl.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I wish to discuss the situation in our public health service, in particular the case of Mr. Michael Gallagher who recently passed away at University Hospital Waterford, UHW. Mr. Gallagher was admitted to the hospital at the start of December with breathing difficulties and a severely swollen abdomen. He had a history of heart trouble but it became clear that there was something more serious...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Special Reports on EU Support for Young Farmers and the Rural Affairs Programme: European Court of Auditors (24 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Senator O'Sullivan indicated. Would she like to hear the other report first, or does she want to ask her question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Special Reports on EU Support for Young Farmers and the Rural Affairs Programme: European Court of Auditors (24 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: Mr. Wojciechowski said there is a lot of bureaucracy. We know from farmers that they feel the burden of bureaucracy when they have to fill out reports. What steps is the Court of Auditors taking to try to minimise that? The witnesses talked about making the processes simpler. However, there is a general concern that the European Commission is overly bureaucratic in many ways. Given that,...

Seanad: Agricultural Issues: Statements (24 Jan 2018)

Grace O'Sullivan: I will keep it short. The organic farming scheme has been closed since 2015. As my colleague Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said, we need to create more opportunities for the decreasing number of farmers. We also need more diversity in schemes for farmers if we are to try to encourage them to stay in farming or bring more into the system. The organic farming scheme benefited...